In a statutory short form power of attorney, the language conferring general authority with respect to "real estate transactions," must be construed to mean that the principal authorizes the agent:
1. To accept as a gift, or as security for a loan, to reject, to demand, to buy, to lease, to receive, or otherwise to acquire either ownership or possession of any estate or interest in land;2. To sell, to exchange, to convey either with or without covenants, to quit-claim, to release, to surrender, to mortgage, to incumber, to partition or to consent to the partitioning, to create, modify or revoke a trust to grant options concerning, to lease or to sublet, or otherwise to dispose of, any estate or interest in land;3. To release in whole or in part, to assign the whole or a part of, to satisfy in whole or in part, and to enforce by action, proceeding or otherwise, any mortgage, incumbrance, lien or other claim to land which exists, or is claimed to exist, in favor of the principal;4. To do any act of management or of conservation with respect to any estate or interest in land owned, or claimed to be owned, by the principal, including by way of illustration, but not of restriction, power to insure against any casualty, liability or loss, to obtain or to regain possession or to protect such estate or interest by action, proceeding or otherwise, to pay, to compromise or to contest taxes or assessments, to apply for refunds in connection therewith, to purchase supplies, to hire assistance or labor and to make repairs or alterations in the structures or lands;5. To utilize in any way, to develop, to modify, to alter, to replace, to remove, to erect or to install structures or other improvements upon any land in which the principal has, or claims to have, any estate or interest;6. To demand, to receive, to obtain by action, proceeding or otherwise, any money, or other thing of value to which the principal is, or may become, or may claim to be entitled as the proceeds of an interest in land or of one or more of the transactions enumerated in this section, to conserve, to invest, to disburse or to utilize anything so received for purposes enumerated in this section, and to reimburse the agent for any expenditures properly made by him in the execution of the powers conferred on him by the statutory short form power of attorney;7. To participate in any reorganization with respect to real property and to receive and to hold any shares of stock or instrument of similar character received in accordance with such plan of reorganization, and to act with respect thereto, including by way of illustration, but not of restriction, power to sell or otherwise to dispose of such shares, or any of them, to exercise or to sell any option, conversion or similar right with respect thereto, and to vote thereon in person or by the granting of a proxy;8. To agree and to contract, in any manner, and with any person and on any terms, which the agent may select, for the accomplishment of any of the purposes enumerated in this section, and to perform, to rescind, to reform, to release or to modify any such agreement or contract or any other similar agreement or contract made by or on behalf of the principal;9. To execute, to acknowledge, to seal and to deliver any deed, creation, modification or revocation of a trust , mortgage, lease, notice, check or other instrument which the agent may think useful for the accomplishment of any of the purposes enumerated in this section;10. To prosecute, to defend, to submit to alternative dispute resolution, to settle, and to propose or to accept a compromise with respect to, any claim existing in favor of, or against, the principal based on or involving any real estate transaction or to intervene in any action or proceeding relating thereto;11. To hire, to discharge, and to compensate any attorney, accountant, expert witness or other assistant or assistants when the agent shall think such action to be desirable for the proper execution by him of any of the powers described in this section, and for the keeping of needed records thereof; and12. In general, and in addition to all the specific acts in this section enumerated, to do any other act or acts, which the principal can do through an agent, with respect to any estate or interest in land. All powers described in this section 5-1502A of the general obligations law shall be exercisable equally with respect to any estate or interest in land owned by the principal at the giving of the power of attorney or thereafter acquired, and whether located in the state of New York or elsewhere.
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 5-1502A
Amended by New York Laws 2020, ch. 323,Sec. 5, eff. 6/13/2021.